Tag Archives: pet cockatiel

There are two kinds of domestic birds – “in cage” birds and “out of cage” birds. Pearl may not be able to fly (due to a wing injury when she was a chick) but she is definitely an “out of cage” bird. The only time she likes her cage and wants to be in itContinueContinue reading “Sad Bird, Happy Bird”

My little feathery gal is just as particular (and sometimes downright persnickety) as any human I’ve ever met when it comes to her wants and needs. Such as…. Snax. Family. Neck scratching. Belly kisses. Accessories. A fierce demeanor (every gal needs one, especially when it’s time for the V-E-T). A great view. Spa days.

After reading (and watching) “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill” earlier this year, I developed a much better understanding of the essentially wild nature of all domesticated birds. It’s not like this hadn’t been explained to me in other bird books, but it was how the author, Mark Bittner, highlighted in such intimate details theContinueContinue reading “Wild at Heart”

While there are days when Pearl seems to weary of being stalked by a small purple and green iPhone camera, other days she remembers how important it is for the prettiest bird in the whole world to build a proper portfolio. Here she is practicing different looks for her pending blockbuster hit movie (heck, theyContinueContinue reading “America’s Next Top Avian Model”

Dog lovers are so lucky……there are so many great books about pet dogs and their owners. But for bird lovers, we often have to hunt to find new stories about our fav pets and their human companions. I stumbled across “Life With Ben: A Story of Friendship and Feathers” completely by accident. Or sort ofContinueContinue reading “Life With Ben”

To Pearl, no area of the house is more interesting than my office. There are so many neat things to chew….so many documents to “edit” (she likes to jump on the keyboard when I’m not looking)….so many reflective surfaces. While I wouldn’t call Pearl’s brand of help “helpful”, she sure knows how to keep theContinueContinue reading “The (Other) Help”

The truth is (odd as it feels to me to admit this) – my bird loves scrambled eggs. At first, I thought nothing of it. I like scrambled eggs too. No biggie. But then a well-meaning facebook friend delicately pointed out that Pearl, too, initially emerged from a, um, shell. Frankly, I am still sortingContinueContinue reading “Just Like Chicken”

Plate surfing should be an Olympic sport. In a cockatiel’s world it probably is. The way it works is like this. You set a plate down on the table in front of someone. Someone with feathers spies it. Something on it looks tasty. So of course that means it is time for a closer investigation….andContinueContinue reading “Plate Surfing”

“Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding” is anything brief, despite what the unassuming title (or cover art) might suggest. Author, naturalist and ornithologist Scott Weidensaul might just be one of the best writers on birds – okay, one of the best writers period – that I have ever had the pleasure toContinueContinue reading “Of a Feather”

There is a reason why Pearl doesn’t get out much. She is a very curious bird. VERY curious. During Hurricane Ike a couple of years ago, Pearl and I spent a couple weeks as drifters, moving from one friend’s house to another until the electricity in our home came back on. We stayed for oneContinueContinue reading “The Incredible Disappearing Bird”